Mirror Image
by XionTheBlackRose
Summary: I never wanted to exist, I didn't ask for this. I'm not supposed to be the one here right now. But I can't change the mistakes I made. I thought I wanted this, but I was wrong. I have his memories, I share his feelings, I am him in every way, except for one thing: I'm just a carbon copy. With everything I am because of him, I am not him. I should have known I never would be.
**A/N: This one shot is a challenge given to me by Justice Tokidoki. It was a new writing experience for me, so I hope it doesn't disappoint. Now read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

I never wanted to exist, I didn't ask for this. I'm not supposed to be the one here right now. But I can't change the mistakes I made. I thought I wanted this, but I was _wrong_. I have his memories, I share his feelings, I am him in every way, except for one thing: I'm just a carbon copy. He was _selfish_ when he made me. I was supposed to hang out with his friends because they were _annoying_ him. I'm just a tool for a selfish man. Unlike _him_ , I actually _care_ for his friends, so I did the only thing I could think to do to make them all happy. I _became_ him, by taking him out of the picture. It worked at first, but with all I am _because_ of him, I am _not_ him. I sigh, looking at myself in the mirror again, "I have to tell them the truth."

Riku's mother opens the bedroom door, "Riku, your friends are here."

I turn and smile softly, "Thanks, I'll be right down."

It'll hurt her when I have to tell her that Riku is dead. I can keep this ruse going for a few years, but I don't age, they have to learn the truth eventually. The sooner, the better. I can't hurt them anymore than I already have. I look in the mirror again before leaving the room. I go downstairs and meet Kairi and Sora at the door. They smile at me and I return their smiles. Sora grins, "Are you ready for the water park? It's gonna be great!"

"Yeah!" Kairi adds, "It's been forever since we all did something together."

I nod, "Yeah, it'll be great.."

I have to figure out how to tell them I killed him. It's so hard finding the time, is there even a time to tell someone you killed their best friend and have been impersonating that friend? No, but it has to be done. It's gone on for almost a year, I can't let it drag for too long. I'll lose the only friends I've ever known, but then again, I'm not even a person myself, so.. What am I really losing? They're the ones who are losing something important.

We get in Riku's car and I drive out of town. I listen to Kairi giving me directions as Sora sings obnoxiously loud to every song that comes on the radio. I can't believe Riku didn't want to have this in his life. I've been hanging out with these two for ten months, and they are both wonderful people. Even knowing everything about Riku, I don't know what made him want to stop hanging out with Sora and Kairi.

Hell, if he just wanted to stop hanging out with them, why didn't he just tell them that? Why did he go to the lengths of creating a clone? I'll never know now. I killed him because he was neglecting his friends, and I wanted them to be mine. And now that they are, I have to give it up. I'll have another two years at best, but I shouldn't keep this ruse going. They deserve to know the truth.

We finally get to the water park a few hours later and I park the car and we all head for the entrance. Sora jumps around like a child, even though he'll be twenty this year. Kairi is no better. Did Riku think they are too immature for him now? It doesn't matter, or does it? He never told me, even when I asked. He was selfish, that's all I care about. I'll tell them after they finish the water park. I don't want to ruin this day for them, I'll be ruining enough.

"Come on, Riku!" Sora laughs, grabbing my hand, pulling me to the entrance gate.

The girl from my Economics class is working the counter. Namine, I think? She smiles at me, "Hi, Riku. How many tickets do you need?"

"Hey, Namine, is it? Three tickets, please." I reply, smiling back.

She nods, handing me the tickets and a box key, "That'll be thirty dollars. The key's for box thirty-two. Have a nice day."

I take Riku's wallet from my back pocket and hand her the money. We go into the park and Sora jumps up and down again, "Where do you want to go first?!"

Kairi giggles, "Calm down, Sora, you're going to blow gasket."

Sora laughs, "Let's go down those twisty slides, Kairi! It'll be fun!"

She continues to giggle, "Okay, okay!"

Sora drags her off and I sigh, setting our stuff in our lock box before walking after Sora and Kairi. I wait at the pool at the end of the slides for them and they come down a few minutes later. They're laughing and soaked. Sora turns to me, "Come down the slide with us, Riku, it's so fun!"

I chuckle and follow them up the stairs. Kairi turns and smiles, "I'm so glad you agreed to this. You've been so weird this year, but I'm glad that things are back to normal now."

"Yeah.." I smile lightly in return. It's when they say things like this that remind me I'm not who they long to be with.

She turns back and continues up the stairs. How bad will it hurt her to say that I've been pretending to be her boyfriend? I'm hurting them all, his friends, his family, and I just keep doing it. I shouldn't be making them wait this long to know the truth, but I don't want to lose them just yet. Maybe I'm just as selfish as Riku was. They need to know what I did, and tonight. I'll tell them on the way home. I have to tell them this time, I won't hide it anymore. I can't let this go on anymore, I'll just make it worse. I must do this, there's nothing else I can do. I'm just being a wimp, I have to get over this fear of losing them. They were never really mine to lose.

Hanging out with them makes my decision harder. I don't want to tell them, but I know I should. Riku's been dead for eight months, he's rotting and buried somewhere in the woods back home. I have to tell them I'm not him, but what happens then? What will become of me? I'll probably go to jail, but how can I when I have no identity? I'm nothing. I'll probably be given to the government for testing since Riku created me. And then what will Sora and Kairi think of me? They'll hate me, even if I try to explain it. There's no happy ending for me in this thing, and I guess it was always meant to be that way.

We leave the water park at sunset and they chatter excitedly as I drive in silence. I have to tell them, but how? I can't just simply say I'm not Riku, can I? There has to be an easier way to break this to them, but is there really? I'm being delusional, I need to just say what I need to and let whatever happens happen. I turn the radio off and Sora whines, "Why'd you do that, Riku?!"

"Yeah, we weren't that loud.." Kairi frowns.

I keep my eyes on the road, "I.. There's something important I have to tell the two of you.."

"Riku?" Kairi sounds worried.

"What's up?" I see Sora tilt his head in the rear view mirror. I still don't face them, "I.. I'm not.. Who you think I am.."

"What do you mean?" Kairi asks.

"I'm not Riku." I reply.

"What? That's impossible." Sora frowns.

Kairi stares at me as I speak, "Riku created me ten months ago. I'm.. A clone of him. I know everything he did, but I'm not him."

They are both silent for several minutes before Kairi replies, putting her hand gently on my shoulder, "So.. If you're _not_ Riku.. Where is _he_..?"

I grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white, " _Dead_."

I can feel their eyes on me, and Kairi removes her hand from my shoulder. I stare at the road and count the minutes away in my head. Ten. Ten minutes pass before anyone speaks. Sora's words are quiet, but I can hear the pain in them, "Take me home. Take me home, right now. I don't want to be here anymore."

"What happened to him..?" Kairi's voice breaks as fears form in her eyes.

I look at her for a moment before returning my gaze to the road. I swallow nervously, "He was.. Killed.. By _me_.."

" _Stop the car!_ " Sora screams.

I hit the brakes and the car screeches, roughly coming to a stop. Kairi yelps as it stops, slamming into the dashboard. She rubs her head and looks back at Sora. I think her reaction scares me more than Sora's. She isn't _doing anything._ I slowly turn to look at Sora and he's staring down, his bangs covering his eyes. My eyes widen when I see tears stream down his face. His body trembles and he grits his teeth.

I watch him clench and and release his firsts. He finally looks up after a moment in silence, and his eyes are dark and pained, "You.. Killed.. My best.. Friend.."

He unbuckles his seat belt and quickly grabs the collar of my shirt. He glares into my eyes, "You killed him.. _Clone_.. So tell me.. _Why?!_ "

I wince lightly and avert my gaze to the window behind his head, "He was selfish.. He didn't want to hang out with you anymore, so.. He made me.. To do it for him.."

I look Sora in the eyes now, "This entire year, I've been the one there for you, not him. Don't you get it? He was tired of you. That's why I did it. You two are the most amazing people I have every had the pleasure of knowing, and I couldn't just let him throw you away.."

"So you decided to be him?!" Sora sobs, "That's not friendship!"

"He didn't even know what friendship meant!" I reply, pushing Sora back gently. I can feel tears coming to my eyes, "I know _everything_ he did, and even _I_ don't know why he didn't want to have you around anymore. I just.. I wanted to be a _better_ friend than he was, and I _am_.. I know you're _angry_ , you probably _hate_ me.. But.. _He_ was the one who _abandoned_ _you_."

Sora sits back, shock covering his face. Kairi just stares at me as I drive them home. I drop Sora off and he leaves in silence. I drive to Kairi's house and as I park, she turns to me, "Is that true..?"

I look at her and my eyes soften as I see she's crying. I nod solemnly, "Yeah.. It is.."

She wipes her face, "Thanks.. For at least.. Telling the truth.. Even if it is.. Kind of too late.."

"Don't thank me. And don'y worry, you won't have to deal with me again. Once I tell his mother.. I don't know what will happen to me.." I look away.

She gasps softly, "Riku.."

I close my eyes, "That's not.. I don't have a name."

We sit in silence and I open my eyes, staring out my side window. She finally goes home and I drive to Riku's house. I park the car and go inside. His mother is on the couch, watching t.v. She smiles at me, "Did you have fun?"

I take a deep breath, "There's something you need to know.."

* * *

The next day, Sora and Kairi stand on Riku's doorstep, nervously. Kairi sighs and knocks on the door. Riku's mother opens the door and she's crying. She wipes her face, her skin red and swollen from the tears. She smiles lightly, "R-Riku's not.. Here right now.."

"Where is he?" Kairi asks.

Riku's mother starts sobbing, dropping to her knees, she covers her face, wailing, "He's dead!"

Sora opens his mouth to say something, then he closes it, frowning. He swallows and takes a few breaths, "Where.. Is the clone?"

She starts laughing, it starts soft, then becomes loud and crazed. She claws at her hair, rocking back and forth, "I had that murderer taken away!"

"Where?!" Sora shakes, "Where is he?!"

"Sora.." Kairi places a hand on Sora's shoulder, shaking her head, "Give up.. He's gone."

"But.. I just.. Wanted to thank him.. For making Riku fun again.." Sora turns and runs off down the street. Kairi gasps and runs after him, leaving Riku's mother a laughing, wailing mess at her own front door.

* * *

I never wanted to exist, I didn't ask for this. I'm not supposed to be the one here right now. But I can't change the mistakes I made. I never wanted this life, it was never truly supposed to be mine. I may know everything about him, even share his feelings, but I was _never_ going to _be_ him. He may have been selfish when he made me, but I'm _selfish_ in thinking I could _ever_ take his _place_. I was a tool for a selfish man, and I actually _cared_ for his friends. I thought I did the _right_ thing, but I'm truly the _selfish_ _one_ for taking him _away_ from those who _care_ for _him_. I thought it would make them happy, _becoming_ him, and it worked at _first_. But all good things come to an _end_. Because of all that I am _because_ of Riku, I am _not_ Riku. I am _no_ _one_ , just a _thing_ that _shouldn't_ _have_ _existed_.


End file.
